Production of expanded metal



Maich 22, 1932. H. M. GERSMAN 1,850,543

PRODUCTION OF EXPANDED METAL Filed Aug 1.4, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 3 Jikrzzgfferaman March 22, 1932. H M, GERSMAN 1,850,543

PRODUCTION OF EXPANDED METAL Filed Aug. 14, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 22, 1932.

H. M. GERSMAN 1,850,543

PRODUCTION OF EXPANDED METAL Filed Aug. 14, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet I5 u III-II I jfirvyfl 62219100 2 March 22, 1932. H. M. GERSMAN 1,350,543

PRODUCTION OF EXPANDED METAL Filed Aug. 14, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Jinan Patented Mar. 22, 1932 PATENT. QFFICE HARVEY M. GERSMAN, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK PRODUCTION OF EXPANDED METAL Application filed August 14, 1928. Serial No. 299,514.

' This invention relates to a method of and means for expanding metal which, while applicable to the production of various proclucts, is herein illustrated in connection with the manufacture of lath.

More particularly the invention is applicable to the production of expanded metal of a form characterized by continuous parallel strips and elongated strands extendlng angularly to one another between the ad acent strips which they connect. Expanded metal of such form ofiers a number of advantages which are appreciated by those skilled in the art, but the methods heretofore .15 proposed for the production of such expanded metal have not been satisfactory because they have involved the elongation of the strands wholly by stretching with the results that the strands have not been of uniform physical structure and have been weak or torn at the bonds at which they join the parallel strips.

The principal object of the present invention is a method by which expanded metal of the form generally described can be produced rapidly and economically and whichwill be of superior quality in'that the strands will be uniformly elongated, of uniform physical structure, and will have strong lines of connection with the bonds between which they ,3 extend. r

A further object is a simply constructed means for the efficient practice of the method. The method is essentially characterized by the action of a'pair of cooperating working rolls of novel form on a blank which is preferably heated to a degree suitable for a rolling action. These working rolls slit the blank and elongate the strands primarily by 40, a reduction operation, the elongating action being strictly confined to the strands and not applied to the blank as an entirety.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of apparatus by which the invention may be practiced.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the same.

Figure 3 is a cross section between the driving roll and the slitting and elongating rolls on line 33 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a developed plan view of the upper slitting roll.

Figure 5 is a developed plan view of the lower slitting roll.

Figures 6, 7 and 8 are fragmentary cross sections showing the action of the working rolls, Fig. 6 showing the action at the bonds at corresponding ends ofa transverse series of strands, Fig. 7 showing the action at points between the bonds, and Fig. 8 showing the action at the bonds at the opposite ends of the strands of such series.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the blank on emergence from the working rolls.

Figure 10 is a cross section on line 1010, Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 11 is a detail enlarged cross section showing the action of the strand setting rolls which are shown in peripheral elevation in Fig. 10.

Figures 12 and 13 are cross sections on lines l212 and 1313'of Fig. 2, showing the deploying guides.

Figure 14 is a plan view of the fragment of lath as delivered by the machine.

Figure 15 is a cross section of the same.

The blank B is passed, preferably, by means of a pair of feed rolls 1, to a working stand 2 which includes an upper roll 3, a lower roll 4:, and a series of shear plates 5. The roll 3 includes cuttingdisks 6 having between them peripheral recesses 7 The roll 4 includes disks 8 in line with and for cooperation with the cutting disks and having between .them'recesses 9. The shear plates 5 are arranged in the recesses 9 and have upper fiat blank supporting surfaces. The shear plates are suitably secured to the housings of 90 the rolls 3 and 4 by cross ties 10. The edges of the disks 6 cooperate with the shear plates to slit the blank in the form desired and are accordingly interrupted at regular intervals by the usual recesses 11 which provide for the bonds, these recesses being arranged in staggered or break joint relation along the opposite edges of each disk 6. The working rolls are driven at a surface speed which is in excess of the surface speed of the feed rollsto a degree commensurate with the extent of elongation which is desired for the strands.

' Fronrthe working rolls the blank passes to a pair of cooperating setting rolls 12 and 13 which are driven atthe same speed as the rolls 1 and aid the latter in feeding the blankthrough the mill. On emergence fromthe rolls 12 and 13 the blank has a cross sectionally sinuous form and passesto a mechanism by which it is opened out and widened and its sinuous. cross section is reduced, such mecha nism consisting of a series of flattening rolls 1415, 1617,. and 18'19, and sets of diverging; guide bars 20, one extending from the rolls '1213 to the rolls 14-15, the second fronitheQrolls-14-15 to the rolls 16-17 and the third from the rolls16-17 to the rolls. 18- 19. From the rolls 18 and 19 theibl'ank passes to a series of parallel guide bars 21 from which itisdelivered either with or-with- V performediby the working rolls 3 and 4., 35,

the shear platesbeing left in the form of continuous parallel strips.

out the action of finishing rolls as may be desired. V

The essential features of the method are Those parts of the blank whichrest upon the shear'plates are not acted on by the-rolls 3 and 1 and travel at a speed determined by the speed of the rolls 1 and the rolls 12 and 13;

Those parts of the blank intermediate the shearplates areactedon by the disks 6 and8. The disks 8 have their peripherieslocated in wardof the supporting faces of the shear plates and thedisks 6work between the shear plates whereby theylcooperate with the edges of the'shear platesto form the slits by which the strands are delimited and also depress or deflect the slitted portions below the plane of theparts of the blank. which travel on the shear plates and against the surface of thedisks 8, the parts of the blank which travel on I The mutual spacing of the disks 6 and 8 issuch that, in connection with the accelerated; surface speed there- "of,"a definite rollingand consequent reduction ofthe strands is effected and thereby the blank issues from the rolls 3 and 4 with strands S which are uniformly elongated with reference to the continuous parallel strips C whose length is notaifected by the action ofthe rolls 3 and 4. Since the forward motion of the strands S duringthe elongationwill be limited by the bonds'or interruptions B some .humping of the strands depending 1n-degree' on the extent of the elongation will be exhibited as the blank issues from the workmg rolls and to eliminate this, as well as to prepare the blank for the widening operation,

the setting rolls 12 and 13 are employed. These, as shown in Figs. 10 and 11, are rolls which are formed with spaced ribs 23 of generally trapezoidal cross section, the ribs of one roll working in the space between adjacent ribs ofthe other roll. 7

The peripheries of the ribs 23 act on the strips C and offset them in alternation and in 7 parallel planes. The transverse dimensions of the ribsare. such that spaces are left betweenthe ribs of one roll and the adjacent ribs ofthe other roll and the strands S are located inthese spaces in which they are bent in conformity to the offsetting of the ribs and any irregularity or humping is taken up and thereby eliminated.-

On emergence from the rolls 12 and 13 the blankhas a sinuous or corrugated. cross section whichis sufficiently shown in Fig'. 11- and passes to the means by which it. is widened and cross sectionally straightened. This means, the elements ofwhich have been described, is of well known: form, and its roller elementsserve to set the strips C and press:

them toward a common mean plane while the guide bar'elements' serve to increase the lateral spacing of the strips- C and thereby to maintain the strands S straight as the increase. of the spacing of the strips C progresses.

While the action of the blank widening and straightening mechanism. could" becarried to a point where the blank was crosssectionally' straight, it'is preferedthat it be'limited short ofthispoint so that the finished lath product will have a slight measure of sinuousness in cross section, shown in Fig. 15, a desirable measure of sti'ifnessbeing thereby obtained.

WVhile the form of expanded metal herein shown is an advantageous one, and for the purposes of. lath is preferred, it will be un- V derstoodthat the invention is applicable to forms which may involve some departure from the form shown but which are'characterized by parallel continuous strips and elongated strands connecting them.

It may be noted that a substantial measure.

speed while maintaining the strips at the same rate of speed as the blank to produce an increase in the length of the strands in comparison with thatof the strips and then widening the blank.

2. A method of expanding metal which consists in feeding a heated blank, slitting the same to delimit alternate strands extending between and connecting parallel strips, rolling the strands at an accelerated rate of speed while maintaining the strips at the same rate of speed as the blank to produce an increase in the length of the strands in comparison with that of the strips, offsetting the strips alternately in parallel planes to give the blank a sinuous or corrugated cross section and then widening the blank.

3. A method of expanding metal which consists in feeding a blank, slitting the same to delimit alternate strands extending between and connecting parallel strips, displacing the strands, rolling the displaced strands at an accelerated rate of speed while maintaining the strips at the same rate of speed as the blank to produce an increase in the length of the strands in comparison with that of the strips, then ofisetting the strips alternately in parallel planes to give the blank a sinuous or corrugated cross section, and then widening the blank and straightening its cross section.

4. A method of expanding metal which consists in feeding the blank, slitting the same to delimit alternate strands extending between and connecting parallel strips, rolling the strands to elongate them relatively to the strips, and then widening the blank.

5. A method of expanding metal which consists in feeding the blank, slitting the same to delimit alternate strands extending between and connecting parallel strips, rolling the strands to elongate them relatively to the strips, offsetting the strips alternately in parallel planes to give the blank a sinuous or corrugated cross section and then widening the blank.

6. A method of expanding metal which consists in feeding a heated blank, slitting the same to delimit alternate strands extending between and connecting parallel strips, displacing the strands, rolling the strands to elongate them relatively to the strips, then offsetting the strips alternately in parallel planes to give the blank a sinuous or corrugated cross section, and then widening the blank and straightening its cross section.

7 A method of expanding metal which includes slitting a blank to delimit alternate continuous parallel strips and intermediate strands, rolling the strands to elongate them relatively to the strips and then widening the blank.

8. A method of expanding metal which includes slitting a heated blank to delimit alternate continuous parallel strips and intermedi ate strands, displacing the strands, rolling the strands to elongate them relatively to the strips and thereafter widening the blank to take up the elongation of the strands and return the blank to substantially straight cross section.

9. A method of expanding metal which includes'slitting a blank to delimit alternate continuous parallel strips and intermediate strands, rolling the strands to elongate them relatively to the strips, then offsetting the strips alternately in parallel planes and thereafter widening the blank to take up the elongation of the strands and return the blank to substantially straight cross section.

10. In an apparatus for expanding metal, upper and lower blank working rolls, the upper roll having spaced slitting discs and recesses intermediate the discs, and stationary shear plates extending through said recesses and upon which the blank may be fed, the slitting discs cooperating with said shear plates and the lower roll having discs cooperating with the periphery of the slitting discs in rolling the strands formed by the slitting.

11. An apparatus for expanding metal. comprising blank feeding rolls, upper and lower working rolls receiving the blank from the feeding rolls, the upper roll having spaced slitting discs and recesses intermediate the discs, stationary shear plates extending through said recesses and upon which the blank may be fed, the slitting discs cooperating with said shear plates and the lower roll having discs cooperating with the periphery of the slitting discs in rolling the strands formed by the slitting, and rolls receiving the blank from the working rolls and having interengaging ribs to offset the unslitted parts of the blank alternately in parallel planes and thereby give the blank a sinuous or corrugated cross section.

12. In apparatus for expanding metal, the

combination of means for slitting a blank to 105 delimit alternate strands extending between and connecting adjacent strips, means for rolling the strands to elongate them relatively to the strips and means for widening the blank.

13. In apparatus for expanding metal, the combination of means for slitting a blank to delimit alternate strands extending between and connecting adjacent strips, means for feeding said blank to said slitting means, 11

means for rolling said strands at an accelerated rate of speed while maintaining the strips at the same rate of speed so as to elongate the strands relatively to said strips and 120 means for widening said blank.

14. In apparatus for expanding metal, the combination of a roll having spaced annular ribs, means cooperating with said ribs for slitting a blank to delimit alternate strands extending between and connecting adjacent 125 strips, means cooperating with said ribs for elongating said strands and means for widening said blank.

15. In apparatus for expanding metal, the

combination of a roll having spaced annular 130 ribs, means cooperating with said ribs for slitting a extending strips, a

I 5 ribs whic mentioned roll to elongate said strands and means for widening said blank.

I In testimony whereof I hereby afiix my signature. 10'

blank to delimit alternate strands between and connecting adjacent second roll having spaced annular h cooperatewith the'ribs of said first HARVEY M. GERSMAN. 

